Casual EA for busy schedules (now underway)
 

CasualEA


In my first ever MP game I am about to die and I decided I wanted to play another MP game and since it seems fairly easy to organize a PBEM game on Llamaserver.net, I thought I would give it a try.

Because people are busy this time of year (including me), we’ll start with a 48h/turn schedule but as the game progresses, we’ll make the turns longer. Please note that I want to make this game available to casual players who cannot commit to playing every day or even every second day, so if someone wants to put off the turn length further, they can ask for it on a case by case basis and expect to be accommodated (if you want a faster paced game please join a different game).

This game is also for newer players (I have only personally played four games and never won a single one so that would include me) but if you have played many games, you are welcome to join also. If you are vet with a near flawless win record, please go play somewhere else.

Onto the game itself:

We’ll be playing Early Age (since except for my mutliplayer game that’s all I’ve played).
We’ll play cradle of dominions (since it’s a pre-packaged map casual players should be familiar with).
We’ll play without any mods (again to help accommodate casual players who have yet to explore the mods available).
We’ll play with between 8 and 10 players (because that’s what the map suggests).
We’ll play with standard settings with the following exceptions. The hall of fame will include up to 15 entries- this is because it’s fun to get heroic abilities. Also, we’ll set the special sites to 55 instead of 45 because its fun to discover cool sites and I enjoy this part of the game (and I hope you do too).
So, there are three other decisions to make according to the Llamaserver.net walkthrough.
Victory conditions: I guess whenever there’s only one person left they are the ‘true god’.
Diplomacy policy: Your word is your honor (ie- Feel free to break your word but then also expect no one else to trust you. You are free to break your treaties.)
Which race do I want to play? I’ll take the amazon one with the poison archers- forget the name but you probably know who I mean. EDIT: SAUROMATIA- thank you grudge

The Game is called: CasualEA.
The link is here:
http://www.llamaserver.net/gameinfo.cgi?game=CasualEA


SIGN UP:



Immaculate: Sauromatia
GrudgeBringer: Acro
Louppatient: TirNaNog
Slobby: Ryleh
Ossa: Ermor
LDiCesare: T'ien Ch'i
Hoplosternum: Helheim
Mardagg: Agartha
Mojo the Avenger: Abyssia
...

Game stasis:
http://www.llamaserver.net/gameinfo.cgi?game=CasualEA

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

You mean Sauromatia

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

:up:I have never won anything but I DO ask a lot of questions on the Forums (hence the Captain title).

You are NOT going to use the CBM MOD? I think you might want to think about that.

If you want another player I will take a weak nation and play ARCO, If you think I a vet then I will back out with no problems.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

You are welcome to play.

I want to avoid Mods (or other changes) that would scare away new players.

If EVERYONE who wants to join wants to play CBM, then we will do that... otherwise we will try to keep things simple.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

I'd like to play Tir na n'Og.

I'm more used to CBM than vanilla, but I can play without it.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Sign me up, I'll take ryleh, and no cbm is fine by me.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

I'd like to join as Ermor. Last time I tried them I got stomped:/

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

I like your name LoupPatient. It was my codename in paintball in my early university years.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

I'm in too. I'll pick T'ien Ch'i.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

I would like to play if you will have me. Helheim please, I have never played them in mp.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

One more player... then we can start uploading pretenders.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

If we don't pick up another player soon i'll just add a few AI players and we can start. For me an AI is still pretty challenging and i guess the same is true for some of the other players so i don't think that will change things too much. if you disagree, speak up (or go snare some other player you think would be into this and trick them into joining).

immac.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

I would like to play Agartha.
No cbm is fine for me.
No Ais pls.
Those starting near AI are forced to wage early war,since no diplomacy is possible.So,unless playing with lots of AI`s,for which Cradle is too small,this may put only some players at big disadvantage.Not to mention the advantage Ryleh already has being the only Water Nation would be like tripled since the comp cant take care of water nations.

This would be my second Dom3 MP game.Ive won some Dom2 games long time ago,though.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Okay, i guess i feel we are ready to start now that we have enough players. We will do so without any AI nations.

I'll give about half a day for others to join if they want to before i set the game up. We'll accept up to two or three more players.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

No AI definitely.
My main issue is the victory condition. I'd rather have victory points so the game doesn't drag forever though (1 vp per capital, controlling more than half the vp's).

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Thats fine with me and if anyone has any objections, lets hear them, otherwise we'll do as LDi suggests.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Problem with vp per capital is,that one can see all starting provinces on the map.This takes away some of the exploration part of the game and also favors all nations with early access to spells that attack provinces.
Personally, i am ok with it...but e.g. I can make good use of this very early because i got a scrying site at my capital :D

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Just an outsiders opinion, but VP marked capitals also favours rush / strong nations, since they know automatically where their closet neighbours capital is from turn one. So can send the necessary guys in that direction straight away.

I personally don't believe the stronger nations, or indeed the stronger players, should be given any extra help in crushing their closet neighbour. Since in these cases the VP's just turn into a bulls-eye or X, that marks exactly where the juicy treasure is buried.

And while everyone in the game will get the exact same info with regards where the capitals are, some will benefit greatly from it, while others will be severly disadvantaged by it, depending mainly on which nation they are. So it won't be fair info to all. I also think that capital locations is too valuable a piece of info to be given away freely from the start of the game.


Just my thoughts on the subject, but I'm not in the game, so feel free to ignore them :) and of course, best of luck to everyone with the game.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

I thinks a consensus will work just fine.

It usually becomes obvious who the top 3 players are soon enough, and eventually it is a pretty sure thing who is going to hammer down the rest.:up:

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

If no vp, then I'd suggest a province number of half the provinces +1 or 60% of the provinces.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Either consensus or 60% provinces does not require changes to the game setup so i have gone ahead and made a game for 8 players according to the outline listed on the first page.
Please upload pretenders as you see fit.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Is there a deadline for submitting pretenders?

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

not an official one (i didn't see where you could even put one when i put up the game) but lets try to get them in over the next few days. this is supposed to be a game specifically for busy schedules so i am going to try and be patient....

having said that, lets aim for tomorrow or wednesday though; that should be enough time to design a pretender right?

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Any chance I can sign up? If so I'd like to play Abysia

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

No problem- i have set the max # of players to 9 instead of 8. Welcome aboard.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Cool. I'll make a pretender just in case.

Edit: I'll get it uploaded tonight.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Pretender sent, I'll resend it tomorrow if not taken in account with Llamaserver downtime ...

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Will get in Pretender this evening sometime (Tuesday)

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

is the name of the game busy_schedules


OR Casual_EA_for_busy_schedules

I need to know to send in my pretender as I don't see either game listed.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Never mind

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

I have sent my Pretender in 3 times with no response....maybe llamaserver is having problems.

Will try agian tomorrow

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Agian I sent in my pretender to pretenders@llamaserverCasual_EA__for_busy_schedule s and got NO response at all.

No error...game not listed stc.

I sent it in agian this morning but unless llamaserver is having problems, I have no idea what is wrong.

This IS the name for the subject line...correct?:confused:

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

That should read....

pretenders@llamaserver.net

Thr rest on the subject line.

Sorry 5 AM here on my way out the door to the gym.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Read this thread :
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com//showthread.php?t=44190

-> The server has been turned off again. If you check the server web page for the game, I think that the last update is before you sent your pretender, so that's perfectly normal that it doesn't appears yet.

We just have to wait ...

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Yeah, thats true. All you have to do is e-mail an attached file with your pretender to that e-mail address. The subject line you can copy and paste from this:

Casual_EA_for_busy_schedules


I learned to do all this from this website:

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=35160


EDIT: I realize you know what you are doing and its a server thing but i am going to leave those instructions here in case someone else needs them

5am and going to the gym- good for you... i hate people like you... but good for you anyway.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

pretenders@llamaserver.net
This message has been rejected because it has
a potentially executable attachment "Casual_EA_for_busy_schedules.lnk"
This form of attachment has been used by
recent viruses or other malware.
If you meant to send this file then please
package it up as a zip file and resend it.

This is what I got from the last time I tried to maul my pretender in.

I have no idea where or WHAT the .lnk in it is or where it cane from cause I sure as H^ll didn't type it.

I went ahead and copied and pasted this time....if it doesn't work then perhaps there is something wrong with my Comp and you can go on without me if you need to.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

I have no idea whats happening Grudge...
Maybe you could post in the general forums and see what others think of this occurrence.

Its not like we are in a horrible rush, we still need:
Slobby: Ryleh
Ossa: Ermor

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

.lnk are shortcut files, maybe you made a mistake during file attachment ?

Btw, my pretender submission was processed during the short time the server was on, and I did receive some strange error email (listing an error related to another game), so I would not blindly trust the error message you received.

Best thing is probably to wait for Llamabeast to tell us the server is up and OK again :)

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

The game says it has all of us joined in the general screen. When i open admin options (to start the game) it says only 8 of the pretenders have joined so far. I'm going to give it a bit of time to get over this hiccup and if it doesn't fix itself i will have a very mild panic (very mild mind you)... till then... patience.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

as per llamabeast's suggestion, i'm just going to force a start. Hope this works...

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

anyone else get emails yet?

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

nope.

I think we're better off just deleting this game (which seems to have been adversely affected by the server going down) and starting a new, identical one and uploading our pretenders again.
If i don't hear a nay to this idea within a few hours, this is exactly what i will do (so you'll need to e-mail your pretenders in again)

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

I have a POTENTIAL small problem when/if the game starts soon.

I am leaving for Phoenix AR today to play in my last tournament of the year (Thank God, its been a loooong season) and will be back Sunday night LATE.

I do have GotomyPC and should be fine to make my turns.

However, with all this spamming and problems with llamaserver I have had my computer lock up before when this has hap pend and I tried to access my Computer.

Problem is No One is here to reboot it and reset it.

Soooooooo, IF you see I am about to stale please grant me an extension until Monday Morning sometime (I am CST) and I will get it in ASAP.

If you feel its too long a wait I will understand and just go ahead and I will set it to AI when I get back.

There is little chance I will get a turn in before I leave as that is in 2 hours.

Thanks!!:up:

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH, I just saw the post about resending pretenders.

This won't have any issue with pretenders sent in,

In fact if the game was set to go it will just send out the first turn.

As I am leaving town and you decide to do that, I will TRY and get it sent in. But agian if the wait is too long, just go ahead without me.

And iF you do set up a new game...just make it "Casualgame 2" or something simple..please.:up:

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

I DID set the game to go.... nothing happened. Thats the problem.

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

You caught me on the way out the door...resent pretender...if it doesn't get there just withdraw me...Thanks for doing all you could, the first game to Admin is the toughest!!!:up:

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

It doesn't seem to 'see' your pretender.
Could others try too and we can see how the server responds...?

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Just resent my pretender, I'll keep you updated.

BTW, no problem for me to wait until monday that GrudgeBringer comes backs ...

Re: Sign up: Casual EA for busy schedules
 

Ok. Sent my pretender in twice, no response no update.

I don't think it's any problem waiting for grudge either. It looks like we're stuck until llama gets everything ironed out anyway.